Girl Store & Half-Price ©2006 rj_lazzarini

There is something about signage, especially those of the hand made/home-made variety, that holds a special attraction for me.
I love their simplicity and hand created elegance, or lack there-of.
The best of them are far better than any expensively printed high-gloss collateral from major corporations and their high-priced ad agencies.
The very best ones, IMHO, are jewels on par with a Grandma Moses painting.

The majority though, more often than not are quickly constructed pieces of folk art communicating a simple message, posted on a shop window with scotch tape or some sort of sticky substance. Some are found glued to exterior walls and such under "Do Not Post" signs.
While the wording on these home-made pieces might make complete sense to it's creator... for those who happen to glimpse them, the result is usually a quick double-take and a chuckle.

These two were found in Ireland, and just in case you're wondering... my wife wouldn't let me go upstairs to check out the merchandise.

The Yellow House In Armagh ©2006 rj_lazzarini

May 6, 2005, Armagh, Northern Ireland

The main reason we're in this beautiful land, is that my wife Alice is searching for her ancestor's on her father's side.
The problem is, even though they may have originated in or around this city or county, no real records exist and the family name seems to have disappeared off of the face of the earth.

While we're here in this unique burg, we decide to take in a wee bit o' sightseeing, and one place Alice would like to explore is Armagh's Roman Catholic cathedral.

I can't help but notice that right accross the road from the cathedral is a very colorful house. It's not only its brightness which attracts me, but also the billboard.

So there I am deeply engrossed (a.k.a. zen mode) in composing the image, when I hear a woman's voice ask me, in an inquisitive but challeging way, as to what am I doing.

Ex New Yorker that I am, a few (not so) choice answers pop into my mind.
Taking my eyes away from the viewfinder, I see this young and attractive lady to the side of me.

Realizing that I am in Northern Ireland, I respond as politely as I can, telling her I'm taking a picture of the house.

She objects to my photographing it because it's her house, and wants to know if I'm a reporter.

She's quite upset, and I'm begin to think that this house might also belong to individuals of a certain political affiliation who might strenuously object to my picture taking. Possibly expressing their displeasure in a manner which would definitely end this vacation, and future vacations for good.

I assure her that I'm not a reporter, just some old fart tourist from the USA.
She apoligizes if she'd offended me, and I apologize for upsetting her ... and she leaves.

I take the picture, and I leave ... going to the cathedral across the road for sanctuary, as fast as I can but hopefully not too obvious that I am in a rush.

P.S. I wasn't on her property, tho I was between someone else's and the sidewalk.

Galway Bay ©2006 rj_lazzarini

Ireland is one of the more beautiful places I've had the pleasure of visiting. This sunset happened on the evening of May 3, 2005.

Thankfully my wife Alice talked me into walking to the beach.